Wire link fabric.



W. B. ANDERSON.

WIRE LINK FABRIC.

APPLIQATION FILED JULY H, 1914.

m1 @E WWQW Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

bung?) e 6 HE NO RRIS PETERS ca. PHOTG-LITHQ. WASHINGTUN. 04 C4 WILLIAM. B. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HAGGARI) AND MARCUS- SON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WIRE LINK FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 11915..

Application filed July 11, 1914. Serial No. 850,286.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. ANDER- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in W ire Link Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wire link fabrics.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a wire link fabric which is especially well designed for use in the construction of spring bed bottoms, and which is made of links that are each more or less yielding, or elastic throughout its entire length, thereby to provide a less rigid and stronger structure for a given size wire.

Another object of my invention is to improve the link structure to the end that longitudinal strain will cause a slight elastic elongation of the link. well within the elastic limit of the material of which it is composed, and which link is so fashioned that the extent of the stress applied that would otherwise permanently distort it, or parts of it, is resisted before it exceeds a damaging limit and whereby the composite parts of the link will automatically return to their normal positions when the stress is removed.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a fragment of a bed bottom composed of my elastic-link fabric. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the two members of the fabric. Fig. 3 is a slightly modified form of the elastic link.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

My elastic-link fabric is composed of two members only, the elastic-link 5 and the cross-tie link 6. The elastic-link 5 and the modified form 5 are each made of a wire bent back upon itself to form an eye 7, the free ends 8 and 9 being turned back, as at 10, to form eyes in each limb for engagement with the eye 7 of the adjacent link in the series. The limbs 8 and 9 are each continuously spiral in form from end to end. In Fig. 2 the link is shown to be bodily twisted one turn. In Fig. 3 it is twisted one and one-half turns. In each case, in such manner as to make the most abrupt twist near the eye 7, so as to close the eye 7 as much as may be, to prevent the cross link 6 from slipping back from the eye 7 along the limbs 8 and 9.

In twisting the link, as when it is being made, as described, the members 8 and 9 are brought together, but subsequently laterally separate themselves somewhat as at 11, when the twistin stress is released, the separation being e 'ected by the resilience of the wire.

When stress is applied to my elastic-link members, they will longitudinally elongate, as when a weight is imposed upon the fabric structure, the opening 11, between the limb members 8 and 9, will thereby be temporarily closed, against the renitence of the link and will be opened again by operation of the resilience of the wire of which the link is composed when the stress is removed. The lateral movement of the limb members 8 and 9 toward and from each other, to close and to open the gap 11 is slight in extent in each case, but sufficient in the aggregate to materially contribute to the elastic action of the closed coil end springs 12. This form of link, when a series thereof are connected to gether, provides a continuously elastic chain from one end to the other of the bed-spring cross-rail members 13, 18.

The resiliency of the individual link prevents abrupt strain or shock from being imparted to the weakest part of the link members, the bent portions 8 and 9, such as would damage a more rigid structure, as by the sudden application of a heavy weight to the bed-bottom structure.

The bed-bottom structure consists of a plurality of chains, each composed of a series of elastic links joined one to the other in longitudinal sequence, each chain connected at its end to closed coil springs 12, 12 and adjacent chains connected together by cross, tie links 6 loosely engaging the eyes 7 of said elastic links.

The modified structure shown in Fig. 3 illustrates the appearance of a link that has been bodily twisted one and one-half turn, showing three crossings of the legs 8 and 9. Fig. 2 shows a link that has been bodily twisted one turn and only two crossings of the limbs 8 and 9. In both instances the limbs 8 and 9 are continuously spiral in con figuration, as the result of the twist, and therefore each link is longitudinally elastic,

more or less, at every point throughout its entire length.

link having its free ends looped back to form eyes for engagement with the closed eye of the next link, the pitch length of the twist increasing toward the free ends, and means for transversely connecting the parallel chains.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. ANDERSON.

In the presence of Fomin BAIN, MARY l ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

